Social Media Harm

US Supreme Court rules Meta to face youth addiction claims in state courts

The US Supreme Court has rejected an attempt by Facebook and Instagram’s parent company Meta to avoid a lawsuit in the sate of Vermont that alleges it designed its apps to harm young users, giving state courts jurisdiction over such claims.

The tech giant had argued that it could not be sued in a Vermont court because neither the company nor its Instagram app had specific ties to the state.

Vermont’s Attorney General sued Meta in 2023 in a state court, claiming that Instagram studied teenagers’ psychological vulnerabilities to cause them to use the app compulsively and excessively, harming their mental health. The lawsuit involved a joint ​effort by 42 state attorneys general.

The Supreme Courts’ decision comes amid mounting scrutiny and legal action against social media companies across the country.

We continue to monitor these developments and will return here with further updates.

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The US Supreme Court has rejected an attempt by Facebook and Instagram’s parent company Meta to avoid a lawsuit in the sate of Vermont that alleges it designed its apps to harm young users, giving state courts jurisdiction over such claims.

The tech giant had argued that it could not be sued in a Vermont court because neither the company nor its Instagram app had specific ties to the state.

Vermont’s Attorney General sued Meta in 2023 in a state court, claiming that Instagram studied teenagers’ psychological vulnerabilities to cause them to use the app compulsively and excessively, harming their mental health. The lawsuit involved a joint ​effort by 42 state attorneys general.

The Supreme Courts’ decision comes amid mounting scrutiny and legal action against social media companies across the country.